50 Punctuality Quotes For Always Being On Time

Find out if time is money with our punctuality quotes.

Cultures perceive time and punctuality through diverse lenses; what is common in one place may be unacceptable in another. 

Find out more about these unwritten rules with our punctuality quotes. 

What is punctuality?

By definition, punctuality is the quality or fact of being on time.

However, time perception is subjective, making punctuality challenging to define. 

In many cultures, punctuality is associated with: 

• Integrity 
• Reliability
• Self-Confidence

What makes the above aspects of punctuality interesting is how they change depending on the cultural lens we are looking through. 

What is punctuality in the West?

In the Western world, the phrase “time is money” dictates how many people plan their day.

People in many Western cultures, such as the USA, the UK, or Sweden, pay close attention to the clock and calendar.

From their point of view, being on time for a meeting means being late.

They believe arriving ten to fifteen minutes before a scheduled meeting demonstrates a professional attitude towards punctuality. 

Punctuality across the globe

Many Eastern, Latin, and African cultures perceive time and punctuality differently. 

In some places, arriving after a scheduled start time and staying after a scheduled end time are common. 

For example, in the USA, arriving late makes a person tardy and is considered a monetary loss. 

In a country like Brazil, people have a more laid-back attitude toward arrival and end times. 

Past, present, and future-driven societies

The traditions kept by a people determine punctuality. 

Some cultures in parts of Latin America and Africa are orientated toward the present. 

They might seem laid back about future events and believe that the past should remain in the past.

These cultures focus on the immediate and live in the present, which shapes their perception of punctuality. 

Cultures such as the United States are very future-orientated.

Constantly planning and working towards the future is exhausting, so they consider wasted time as undesirable. 

Some cultures, such as Britain and China, are past-oriented.

These cultures are proud of their achievements and respect their traditions. 

While these cultures plan for the future, they also put a significant stake in the past. 

To learn more, check out our punctuality quotes below. 

Short punctuality quotes about the virtue of being punctual

We begin with some short quotes about punctuality. 

1. “The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.” — Franklin P. Jones  

2. “Preparedness and punctuality are two of the most important qualities of a leader.” — John A. Widtsoe

3. “Punctuality is the virtue of the bored.” — Evelyn Waugh

4. “Punctuality is the first step towards success.” — Nisha Talreja

5. “Want of punctuality is a want of virtue.” — James Murray Mason 

6. “Punctuality is the soul of business.” — Thomas Chandler Haliburton

7. “Punctuality comes high on my list of unforgivable sins.” — Dorothy Cannell

8. “In the ordinary business of life, punctuality is necessary.” — Bertrand Russell

9. “I am a believer in punctuality though it makes me very lonely.” — E. V. Lucas

10. “Punctuality is a virtue if you don’t mind being lonely.” — Edward Bulwer-Lytton

The top punctuality quotes about being on time

These punctuality quotes celebrate those who arrive on time. 

11. “I am always late on principle, my principle being that punctuality is the thief of time.” — Oscar Wilde

12. “Method is the very hinge of business, and there is no method without punctuality.” — Richard Cecil

13. “Punctuality is a quality the need of which is bound up with social co-operation.” — Bertrand Russell

14. “Punctuality is an essential trait of the teacher. It is a foundation, not an embellishment.” — Boyd K. Packer

15. “Punctuality is the stern virtue of men of business, and the graceful courtesy of princes.” — Edward Bulwer-Lytton

16. “Punctuality is one of the cardinal business virtues: always insist on it in your subordinates.” — Don Marquis

17. “Punctuality is not just limited to arriving at a place at right time; it is also about taking actions at right time.” — Amit Kalantri

18. “One good thing about punctuality is that it’s a sure way to help you enjoy a few minutes of privacy.” — Orlando Aloysius Battista

19. “The most indispensable qualification of a cook is punctuality. The same must be said of guests.” — Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

20. “Strict punctuality is perhaps the cheapest virtue which can give force to an otherwise utterly insignificant character.” — John Frederick Boyes

The best punctuality quotes about the importance of not being late

What do you consider to be late? 

These quotes challenge popular narratives on what punctuality means. 

21. “Punctuality is the art of guessing how late the other fellow is going to be.” — Evelyn Waugh

22. “Punctuality is a reflection of how you value time and your integrity.” — Wayne Chirisa 

23. “We may assume that we keep people waiting symbolically because we do not wish to see them and that our anxiety is due not to being late, but to having to see them at all.” — Cyril Connolly

24. “I wish you would recollect that Painting and punctuality mix like oil and vinegar. ” — Thomas Gainsborough

25. “For this purpose, I determined to keep an account of the voyage, and to write down punctually everything we performed or saw from day to day, as will hereafter appear.” — Christopher Columbus

26. “Punctuality or the lack thereof oftentimes is the only introduction one will ever have to new groups and friends.” — Marvin J. Ashton

27. “I was taught a very strong work ethic that included punctuality, which I’ve always felt is a sign of respect for others.” — Nicole Kidman

28. “Punctuality is the politeness of kings.” — Louis XVIII

​​29. “People know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple living, punctuality, hard work and prudence.” — Abdul Sattar Edhi

30. “Method and punctuality are so little natural to man that where they exist, they are commonly the effect of education or discipline.” — W. B. Clulow

Punctuality quotes for employees, students, and teachers

Check out these thoughtful quotes about punctuality.    

31. “But Time, unfortunately, though it makes animals and vegetables bloom and fade with amazing punctuality, has no such simple effect upon the mind of man.” — Virginia Woolf

32. “Self-discipline, punctuality and time management are very important.” — Dada J.P. Vaswani

33. “Punctuality is a courteous compliment the intelligent person pays to his associates.” — Marvin J. Ashton

34. “That man who is regular and punctual will get sure success in all walks of life.” — Sivananda Saraswati

35. “If you have been told that you are late and unreliable more than once, then not only do you lack punctuality, but you also lack decency and seriousness, which is certainly very annoying.” — Auliq Ice

36. “If you practice patience, punctuality, sincerity, and care, you’ll have a better appreciation of the world.” — Grenville Kleiser

37. “When we begin to think of it subjectively, we feel responsible for our time, and the notion of punctuality arises.” — W H Auden

38. “Only the servile are punctual.” — Rose Macaulay

39. “Punctuality is closely related to faithfulness and dependability. Being tardy can be linked to uninterest, apathy, slothfulness, and procrastination.” — Sterling W. Sill

40. “Punctuality is not usually thought of in our day as a major virtue.” — Sterling W. Sill

Punctuality quotes from famous personalities

We close our list with these fantastic observations about punctuality. 

41. “Dec’s punctuality leaves a lot to be desired.” — Ant McPartlin

42. “Something has to give during a deployment, and for me, it’s often punctuality.” — Brianna Keilar 

43. “Punctuality and showing respect in the workplace are the foundations of success.” — Raul

44. “If I have made an appointment with you, I owe you punctuality; I have no right to throw away your time if I do my own.” — Richard Cecil 

45. “Perhaps punctuality is a quality made even more valuable because it is found in so few people.” — Sterling W. Sill

46. “Professionalism and punctuality are extremely important, especially in the career path I’ve chosen.” — Radhika Apte 

47. “Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a want of punctuality in our engagements.” — William Hazlitt 

48. “What are called business habits were intended to make the life of man run in harmony with the steam engine, and his movement rival the train in punctuality.” — George William Russell 

49. “Our school not only makes you an actor, it makes you understand who you actually are as well it gives you discipline and punctuality.” — Anupam Kher 

50. “I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.” — Charles Dickens

To be punctual or not to be punctual, that is the question

We might think we have an idea of what it means to be punctual, but punctuality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. 

It is easy for cultural differences regarding time to cause misunderstandings, so keeping an open mind toward punctuality is good. 

Do you have a favorite punctuality quote?

Be sure to let us know in the comments.